Filing Season Central

Tax Filing Deadline is April 18.

This page serves as an on-line headquarters for taxpayers looking for more information about the Ohio individual income tax. Below you will find answers to many common questions as well as resources to help you through filing season.

We're available to help answer your questions and provide assistance to help ensure your tax returns are filed accurately if you call us toll-free at 1-800-282-1780.

Agents are available to assist you from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Telephone assistance for Personal Income Taxes will be extended until 7 p.m. from April 1st through April 18th, 2016.

If you prefer to email your question, this service is available 24/7 and we strive to provide an answer within 1-2 business days.

Key filing season resources:

Electronic filing options — Ohio offers several ways to cut to the front of the line and get your refund fast. More than 80% of Ohioans already file electronically. Why wait weeks for a refund when you can have it in days?

Income taxes and the military — Complying with income tax laws can be tricky for members of the military and their families. Get the lowdown here.

Your 1099 Documents Available Electronically in Ohio Online Services — To streamline operations and reduce costs, your 1099 documents are now available in the Ohio Income Tax Online Services system. Simply go into the Ohio Online Services link above and register to file your 2015 Income Tax or School District Income Tax return. Once you register in Online Services, log in and click on the View Ohio 1099s option. Read all of the information before you view your document. Questions regarding the 1099s can be answered in our expanded FAQ's. We encourage you to print and retain these important documents for your records.

Conformity/Farmers & Fishermen – The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (HR 8) contains several items that impact a taxpayer’s federal adjusted gross income, which is used in calculating the base from which Ohio income tax is determined. For more details on that, and any impact on Farmers and Fishermen, please click here.

Where’s my refund? — Check on the status of your refund here or by calling (800) 282-1784. Improvements to our system will help us provide you with detailed information on your refund status. If you submitted your state income tax return the old-fashioned way (by mail), your refund status may not be available for a few weeks.

Verify a refund Check— Sometimes, taxpayers express curiosity or even surprise at the appearance of paper checks issued by the State of Ohio. This page is designed to answer some of the more common questions posed about them.

Make a payment — If you owe, you have options, including the Department of Taxation's online ePayment system for making payments by credit card or electronic check. Learn more about ePayment here.

IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers — Certain IRS offices provide this service to any taxpayer. Find a site near you by clicking here and then click on "OH" on the map.

Free tax return preparation by IRS-qualified volunteers is available for qualifying taxpayers (income of $54,000 or less, or those 60 years old and over with higher incomes). Many of the volunteer sites require an appointment. More information can be found here at this IRS website.

You may also call 1-800-906-9887 to find the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program center nearest you, or call 1-888-227-7669 for the IRS's Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) Program.

Tax Alerts– For informational notices regarding Ohio’s individual income tax see the list of archived tax alerts. If you would like to receive tax alerts via email, just click here to subscribe and select Individual Income Taxes from the list of options.

Information releases — Information releases are technical advisories that offer detailed explanations of the laws, rules and rulings that govern the taxes administered by the Ohio Department of Taxation.

Tax form line-item law references — This document provides the statutory reference for each line of the IT 1040 and SD 100.